The Hero's Story
by TwiliWolf13
Summary: After returning from Termina, what is Link supposed to do with the rest of his life?
1. Chapter 1

A blinding light enveloped him, forcing him to close his eyes, and the ten-year-old found himself standing at the entrance to the Lost Woods. Link smiled, he had made it back to Hyrule. He could finally regain his lost time. Just one more small task. He called Epona and mounted her, glad to see that she, too, made it back from Termina. He spurred her, and she started to gallop to Hyrule Castle. He left her outside Hyrule Castle Town.

"Sorry, girl, they don't allow horses in the town market." He apologized and fed her a sugar cube. She whinnied in understanding. He walked on through the gate and past the market. He snuck past the guards outside Hyrule Castle.

"Hey, kid!" A guard exclaimed. Link sighed in annoyance. After defeating Ganon, he still had trouble sneaking past these guards. He got lectured, and off with a warning, but he needed to see Zelda, so he tried again. This time he made it to the princess. He didn't waste time in introductions. She was the only one who knew he was the Hero of Time.

"How are we going to prove to your father that Ganondorf is evil?" Link asked. She had the TriForce of Wisdom, surely she knew.

"We have witnesses." She replied. "Darunia, King Zora, and the Great Deku Tree can testify against him." Link smiled. Of course! The king couldn't say no to the leaders of three different races! Link remained in the castle for several months to do whatever needed to be done for Ganondorf's trial. He was found guilty, and was sent to the newly built Arbiter's Grounds deep in Gerodu Desert. He was kept under heavy guard while the Mirror of Twilight was located. Link, now eleven, offered to take up this quest, but the Hyrulean Knights wouldn't be burdened by a kid. Of course. Link got Epona out of the Royal Stables and went for a ride. Epona navigated, leaving Link to his thoughts. He had fulfilled his purpose. What now?

He headed home, but could he really call it that? He wasn't a Korkiri, he was a Hylian, he couldn't go back to the forest and call it 'home.' He really couldn't stay in Hyrule Field, the stalchildren would be out soon.

'Well, I can at least let Epona go home.' he thought and headed to Lon Lon Ranch. He led Epona into a warm stable and lay in the hay with her.

~Seven Years later~ It had taken seven years to locate the Mirror of Twilight. Link, now eighteen, had been invited by Queen Zelda to come to Ganondorf's execution. He was, apparently, required to come. He rode Epona to Arbiter's Grounds, and within a day, he made it there. Link walked on to the platform that would take him up to the Mirror Chamber. He was told that he was to be Zelda's personal guard during the execution. The Mirror was lowered along with the wall. Ganondorf was bound to it. Zelda took the glimmering Sword of Sages, taking a deep breath, she plunged it through the monster's chest. He roared in pain, and closed his eyes. Dead. An uneasy silence passed, and Ganondorf slowly raised his head. Link drew his sword and stepped in front of Zelda protectively. Ganondorf broke the heavy chains binding him and pulled the sword from his chest. He revealed that he had the TriForce of Power. Before anyone could react, he killed the Sage of Water. Ganondorf charged again, this time, aiming for Zelda. Link was there, just in time to parry Ganon's strike. Link battled on, forcing Ganondorf back in front of the mirror. The sages activated it, while Link held Ganondorf in place, blades crossed. Link back flipped just in time to see Ganon sucked away into the netherworld. Chest heaving, Link turned away from the block. "I am sorry I couldn't save one." He said regretfully. "There's nothing you could've done." Zelda replied. "Hyrule could use your bravery, however. Would you like to become a knight?" Link considered this. "No," he finally said, "I prefer to be free, but if Hyrule needs me, I will always be there." Zelda nodded slightly. "Perfectly understandable." She said. Link looked away. "You wish to be remembered a Hero." She observed. "A time will come when you will need the Master Sword again." Link looked up at her, calculating. He finally said, "It is my honor and duty to protect Hyrule whenever needed." He said. "Alas, if only there were more knights like you. But I understand your wish to be free. Sometimes I wish that I was a common citizen. Free." "I take it you don't want me to repeat that to anyone." Link said playfully. "You'd better not!" She answered. But their jokes were tainted and humorless. A sage had died that day. A life had been taken. And if Ganondorf were to somehow escape, there would be no sealing him away without the last sage. With heavy hearts, the two walked back onto the platform and down from the Mirror Chamber. Zelda mounted her white horse and left with her escort of guards. Some of them shot Link superior looks. He did not care, they wouldn't be here if it weren't for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I tried to make the chapter a little longer this time. This chapter has a bit of violence FYI. R&R plz.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda**

He rested that evening in the Gerudo Fortress. The guards verified the integrity of his pass, but they hadn't a clue how he had gotten it. The Hero led Epona to a stable and made sure she was well taken care of before lying down in the hay with her. He wanted a good night's sleep after the stressful day, but Nightmares haunted his sleep that night.

He had the Master Sword once again and was riding Epona across a charred and broken Hyrule. He willed Epona onward, but she skittered to a stop at the edge of a cliff. Fog was at the edges of the landscape, and the colors were muted, but a battle was clearly waging below. A massive army of shadows was locked in a ferocious battle Hylian Knights, whose army seemed feeble in comparison. Link silently rode down the side of the hill, picking off soldiers of shadows one by one with arrows. He rode into their midst, slashing as many soldiers as he could. A white wolf with markings the same color as Link's tunic fought alongside him, helping him. The pair made a dent in the army, but a soldier slashed at Epona, she reared in panic and knocked Link off. He landed hard, breaking a leg. He screamed in pain as the monster stood over him.

"Goodbye, Hero." the monster said before plunging its sword into Link's chest.

Link woke up in cold sweat. Epona was instantly alert, sensing her master's alarm.

"Seek me to win this battle,"

The phrase appeared in his head, almost telepathically. It was the voice of the wolf from his dream. He knew it.

"S'okay, girl, just a dream." He told her, it was still the middle of the night, but he couldn't fall back asleep. Link sighed unhappily.

"You wanna go for a ride?" he asked his steed softly. She nuzzled him in response. He led her out of Gerudo Valley and mounted her in Hyrule Field. A ride always calmed him down, but he couldn't shake the dream, or the feeling that he was being watched.

* * *

The warrior watched the young Hero enter the huge field. This form was so much more convenient, he could sense the Hero no matter how far away. He watched the hero at a distance, waiting for the right opportunity. He needed to confront the Hero soon, he could already sense the storm coming, but was the Hero worthy? He had already defeated Ganondorf, but a darker force was coming, commanded by the King of Evil. He had the TriForce of Courage, that was definite, but he must learn to exploit that power before it leaves him.

_The Hero will overcome seven trials to tap into his true power, and only then will he be worthy to learn the secrets I hold._

* * *

A horrid scream filled the air and the Hero, previously relaxed was instantly alert. The rider spurred his horse and raced across the hilly terrain. Nearing the entrance to Lake Hylia, Link saw a Hylian holding a blade to the other's throat. Link hurriedly jumped the fences and used his Longshot to get to the top of the ladder quickly. Link assumed that the soon to be killer was the enemy, and the other was the innocent, but his perspective changed without warning. What he saw now was the one with the sword doing himself and others a favor by killing a criminal. Which was good, which was right? Link knew he had to help, but what if he helped the wrong side? He reached for the Ocarina of Time to freeze time and give himself a chance to think, but he remembered that it was not there.

_Goddesses, what am I supposed to do?_

"What are you doing?" Link demanded.

"None of your business." The man with the sword growled. Link now saw that the man with the blade was scarred and middle-aged with black greasy hair. A skilled warrior. The one in danger had auburn hair, a thin and wiry frame, and was in his twenties. He looked innocent, but looks can be deceiving. Link made his decision. Taking the warrior by surprise, he pried the sword away from the younger one's throat, but didn't let him get away.

"What are you doing?" Link repeated. The warrior didn't answer. Instead, he backflipped off the platform and vanished.

_Strange._

Link released the younger one.

"Thanks, guy." The man said. Being a man of few words, Link simply nodded in return.

"No, really, thank you. I thought I wasn't going to see my family tonight."

Link smiled.

"Do you want help getting home?" Link asked, his voice rough from lack of use. When the man hesitated, Link went on, "I have a horse."

The stranger smiled. Link took out his old battered Fairy Ocarina Saria gave him as a child and played Epona's Song. His faithful amber horse came running. He saddled her and offered the man his hand.

* * *

As they galloped off toward Hyrule castle town, the pair didn't notice an elegant white wolf with dark green markings watching the whole encounter.

So the Hero has proved his wisdom.

Author's Other Note: So, any guesses on who the wolf is? I'm sorry if the chapter is a bit short, but I updated this thing yesterday. Besides I really don't exactly know how long chapters are really supposed to be...


	3. Chapter 3

Link lay in the grass in Hyrule Field watching the sun rise. The edges of red were silhouetting Hyrule Castle, and where the red ended, dark lavender reached out to meet it. Link looked to his right and saw Lon Lon ranch. The rooms were dark, and there was no braying of horses or shouting of happy riders. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath, watching the sun come up. Link listened to Epona's rhythmic breaths as he lay beside her, relaxing in the chilly morning air. The morning light cast shadows across his horse, making her look more amber than ever. He was tempted to stroke her neck, but he held back, fearing he would wake her. Left to his thoughts, Link wondered about yesterday's events.

_Was their anything I could have done better?_

He replayed the memory again and again. What could he have done differently. Battle was easy, he was fairly sure he could've bested either in a fight, but what worried him was helping the wrong side.

_What if I had helped the wrong side?_

It unnerved him, how close he had come to helping a villain. But didn't he help Ganondorf get into the Sacred Realm? He sighed. It was in the past. Link laughed softly. Past, present, future, what was the difference when one once had the keys to the lock that is time? A snort roused him from his thoughts, Epona was awake. She raised her head to look at him.

"Mornin', girl," He said, "sleep well?"

She, of course, had no answer. Link yawned, stretched, and got up, and Epona did the same. He didn't want to ask her to give him a ride this early in the morning. He started walking to no where in particular, and Epona followed close behind as the sun decided to finally get out of bed.

* * *

A little ways away a wolf, too, had been stretching and rising. Its white fur was yellowing in the light of the sun. He saw the Hero leave and decided to follow him. The wolf gracefully loped across the field making no sound. He learned to do this back when he was a hero, ambushing and hunting the enemy. Without any cover, the wolf would have to trust that the Hero didn't look back. The wolf followed a bit more until he was sure the Hero was going to Kakariko. He would have to get there first. The wolf howled the Noctune of Shadow very softly and warped to the Graveyard.

* * *

Link didn't realize he was heading toward Kakariko village until he was there. He estimated that he spent three hours walking with Epona across the field. Knowing that Epona could go up the stone steps but not down, Link left her just outside. When Link got bored, he would sometimes go to Kakariko. It was always fun to travel by roof using his hookshot, or even better, the cuckoo he found in a secret room in the windmill, Cindy. He nearly ran into someone who was dashing down the stone steps. He was human, not Hylian, and he had short dark brown hair hair, a bandana around his head, and a bit of stubble, like he hadn't shaved recently.

"Daah!" He cried, almost knocking into Link. He quickly recovered, however and continued, "Thank-goodness-you're-here, a-m-monster-it-was-attacking-the-graveyard! It'll soon be in the village and-"

Link stopped him, even though the teen was speaking so fast, Link knew what he had to do.

_Is this the kid who was always playing in the graveyard? __He looks a lot like him._

Link went around the kid and ran through the village. No one seemed panicked though, did the kid still hang out in graveyards all the time? Why didn't he alert the village? Either way, it would always be the Hero's duty to protect every inch of Hyrule.

He soon saw the monster, and it made the fearsome Bongo Bongo look like child's play. Link put on the Lens of Truth and saw the whole thing. It was vaguely humanoid, but huge. It was at least three times Link's height, and three times as wide. It was covered in a suit of pitch black armor that twisted and writhed.

_Will those tendrils attack me the way Morpha did?_

His tunic had been charmed back when it wasn't even his yet to hold all of the items he received. From its depths, he produced the Biggoron sword. While he preferred his balanced sword for monsters who had skill in swords, the hack-and-slash Biggoron sword was better for formidable enemies.

Even without Navi or Tatl, over the last seven years, the Hero had mastered the art of targeting and analyzing for weakness. While he had to let it approach him to see how it moved, he couldn't let it reach the village. So he ran at it while it slowly stomped toward him. He didn't notice any chinks in its armor when it moved, so he got within range for it to swing its massive sword. The huge golden blade that looked much like Ganon's struck vertically, and Link leapt to his right.

_There! Its armor barely shows it's skin on his right shoulder blade when he strikes. I just hope it's like his Achilles' Heel._

The monster turned to face him. Once again, Link leapt to his right, pulled out his bow, and shot the monster in the chink in its armor. The monster roared in pain and fell to the ground. Link faced it, drew his sword, and stabbed the beast through the in its eye.

The black tendril shot out from his armor to defend their master. Several of them grabbed Link so tightly that no matter how much he writhed, they would not budge. They got tighter. He tried to breathe. Even tighter. It was going to suffocate him. He heard a crack as his sword sheath split and was acutely aware of the sword cutting into his back.

_I am going to die here, either by my own sword, or by this monger's grip_

Link screamed as the monster tighter his grip, but remembered that he needed to draw breath. He managed to do it before the monster's hold got even tighter. He could feel a liquid running down his hand. Blood. What had he cut himself on? The sword sheath? If it was the sword sheath, maybe he could protect his back. He strained and writhed to get the shard to protect himself, but the monster's hold only got tighter and tighter. Black was at the edges of his vision, but the plate finally slid into place, protecting him from his sword. He arched his back, forcing the sword deeper into the monster. Its grip lessened until finally he broke the tendrils.

_So it was like an Achilles heel. _Link thought as he stared at the dead beast.

* * *

A wolf was on the Shadow mark, overlooking the graveyard.

_The Hero has passed my trial of power. _

He flicked his tail and it looked as if the monster was never there.


	4. Chapter 4

The wolf watched the Hero limp away from the graveyard. He did not regret the trial and the wounds inflicted by the battle. They would heal quickly. Even so, he should let the Hero rest before his next trial. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the graveyard making it eerier than usual.

_Ah, yes. This is the only time where this world intersects with the World of Shadows. I exist in neither. A spirit of the past, a shadow of who I was. That is what I am._

A test of courage will be easy for the Hero. He would give his life for anyone. The wolf, now lying down, rested his head on his paws, lost in thought. The world was shifting, as it had once before. Princess Ruto's Corination ceremony was coming up. She would be able to choose a new name as Queen. Explosions of sound comes from deep inside Death Mountain now. Inside the Fire Temple, the Gorons were discovering mining. The Gerudo forged a path from the Haunted Wasteland to Arbiter's Grounds in the East.

The storm was coming. Closer wolf could sense it.

* * *

Link moaned and awoke in Kakariko. Quickly taking in his surroundings, he decided that he was in the house of the four carpenters. Judging from the lack of carpenters inside, Link decided it was sometime during the day. He sat up in the bed, but his back protested as he collapsed down to the bed again and yesterday's events came flooding back to him. He looked down at himself, taking in the damage. Someone had taken the tunic and chain mail armor off. He was shirtless and was wearing baggy old shorts that weren't his. Long white bandages stretched from his left shoulder, across his bare back, and down to his hip where the sword had dug into his back. He checked his ribs for damage and cried out sharply in pain. At least two were broken. He lay back down and stared at the ceiling. He had no reason to pity himself. The people of Kakariko were safe and that is what mattered.

Link was instantly alert as the woman who owned the house walked in. he had always assumed she was the carpenters' mother. She cooked for them and took care of them. It was strange to think all four of the carpenters were brothers. Maybe they were adopted. He heard a Cuccoo crow and realized his prior assumption was incorrect.

_Where were the carpenters then? Oh, I forgot they went to Gerudo Valley._

He remembered helping them pack, even taking his seven years for granted.

"I found you bleeding on the street and couldn't leave you there." The woman said. Link jumped slightly, then winced in pain. He had forgotten she was there. "What tore ya up so badly?" She inquired. "Didja get in a bad sword fight with one of yer rivals?"

How did she not hear all the noise? If she doesn't know, perhaps it's better that it stays that way.

Link nodded in response to her question.

"Ah, sword fighting. Using it simply for sport is pointless if you ask me."

Link silently agreed. Hylians shouldn't seriously sword fight against each other for fun. A swordsman's skilled should be honed to protect and defend. Not nessacarily attack.

"You'll be nicely healed in a few months. As long as we keep infection out of your back, it will be little more than a scar soon."

Being a man of few words, Link simply nodded again.

"Ya don't say much, do ya?" She observed.

Link looked at her, acknowledging without speaking.

"Can you talk? I've known you for the past seven years and not once have you spoken."

"I never visited much." Link responded, voice rough from lack of use.

The woman smiled and turned around to started cooking dinner.

"I gotta start sometime," she explained, "or it'll be midnight before it's finished!"

Literally.

The smell of stew cooking normally would've kept him up, but he was so tired from the battle that the smell didn't bother him.

He awoke around two and saw his caretaker asleep. She left a bowl of stew by his bed. He sat up wincing, but bearable and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His back protested, but not loudly enough for him to pay attention. He picked up the bowl of stew and sipped it. He tasted bits of steak, broth, greens, and something familiar he didn't quite reconize. It slid down his throat, strangely still warm. It warmed his throat, stomach, back, legs, and even his toes. He instantly felt better. A lot better, actually. It was as if he healed a bit in the past twelve hours.

The demon I fought was no normal beast, it was exceedingly difficult, yet my wounds are healing exceedingly quickly.

He felt like he had the strength to search for his tunic. He found it neatly folded in a corner. He searched through his compartments for a bit.

_Dang. This is less organized than a purse._

However, he finally found what he was looking for. He uncorked the bottle of the red potion and drank it down.

_This was what was in the stew. That clever lady put red potion in there._

He was sure the lady hadn't stolen anything, but someone could've stolen anything while he was unconscious on the street. He would be happy if he never got robbed again. He had enough to last a lifetime when Skull Kid stole his Ocarina seven years ago. After that, even though Zelda gave it to him, he insisted that she keep it seeing it was one of the keys to the Sacred Realm.

After rummaging through his bag, he found all of his items, but realized he was low on magic. He took out the small black cauldron that held his magic. His stones, Din's Fire, Nayru's Love, and Farore's Wind, were at the bottom of the cauldron, halfway submerged in a green potion. Whenever he used magic, he dipped his sword or one of his stones into the cauldron and let it absorb green potion. Then he could unleash a magic attack. But when the stone's store ran out, he had to dip it back into green potion again. He needed to run to the market and buy some more. He left a note for his 'apothecary' a note telling her he was leaving, but he didn't mention whether it was temporary or permanent because he really wasn't sure himself.

He did end up leaving Kakariko, however. He found his faithful steed at the bottom of the mountain trail and mounted her, not knowing or caring where to go.

For the first time in a while, he thought about Volvagia. His beloved pet dragon that had been cursed by Ganondorf. His thoughts of his pet tormented him as he rode across the field, but at daybreak, he had pushed it from his thoughts enough to fall asleep.


End file.
